New Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV: the plug-in hybrid arrives

The Korean brand will debut a plug-in hybrid: the new Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV will reach dealerships in 2020.

Kia Motors continues on its path towards electrification by announcing its next plug-in hybrid: the new Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV. This new version will go on sale at European dealerships in early 2020 and, for the first time, will introduce PHEV technology into the compact estate segment of the Korean brand. It will also join the plug-in hybrid version of its crossover sibling, the Kia XCeed.

Emilio Herrera, Director of Operations at Kia Motors Europe, stated: “This version represents an important new stage for Kia, as we are introducing state-of-the-art propulsion systems across our broadest range of vehicles. Sales of the new Ceed family have grown by 40.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2019, and the new plug-in hybrid variants will make the range even more attractive.”

“In the first half of 2019, one in every seven Kia sold in Europe was an electrified model, a trend that continues to accelerate. While other brands talk about their future electrification plans, Kia has already launched a full range of electrified vehicles. Our offering of Mild Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars now gives customers in other segments more options and a lower cost,” Herrera concluded.

60 kilometres of electric range

The new Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV will be built at the brand’s plant in Zilina, Slovakia, making it, alongside the Kia XCeed, the first plug-in hybrid the manufacturer assembles in Europe.

The new Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV combines an 8.9 kWh lithium polymer battery, a 44.5 kW electric motor and a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Working together, they produce 141 hp and 265 Nm of torque, allowing the Kia Ceed Tourer to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.8 seconds.

This powertrain is paired with a dual-clutch transmission with six ratios, which gives the driver the option to change gears manually. As for its regenerative braking technology, it recharges the battery during braking and deceleration.

Kia’s goal was for this model to have a fully electric range close to 60 kilometres, a figure considered sufficient for most daily journeys.

The Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV debuts specific design details

The new Kia Ceed Tourer features several design elements that set it apart from its diesel and petrol siblings:

To begin with, the new closed front grille improves aerodynamic efficiency. The charging port has been integrated into the car’s front left wing. In addition, the 16-inch wheels are specific to this version, although 17-inch wheels are available as an option.

Inside, there are few aesthetic differences, although the functionality has been increased so the driver can make better use of the powertrain. The Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV features a charge indicator to show whether the car has been recharged, positioned so it can be seen clearly from outside the vehicle.

As for the equipment of the Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV, it comes as standard with an 8-inch touchscreen and, optionally, a 10.25-inch unit can be chosen. The navigation system, controlled through this screen, can locate available charging points and show the route to them.

These screens can also display information about the powertrain, such as battery charge or energy consumption graphs. In addition, the driver can schedule when charging should begin whenever the car is already plugged in, so they can take advantage of times when tariffs are cheaper.

The instrumentation also reveals the plug-in nature of this model, showing the remaining charge level, the electric-only range left, and so on. Furthermore, the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster can be selected to present the information in a much clearer way.

The batteries have been placed so as not to compromise interior space

The Korean brand designed the new Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV from the outset to accommodate new hybrid propulsion systems. Therefore, fitting this technology was no afterthought, so neither its dimensions nor its interior space have been compromised. These details may be more than enough for the Korean model to make it into our list of the 10 best plug-in hybrid cars.

The battery sits next to the 37-litre fuel tank and beneath the rear seats, so boot space is not penalised. As a result, the Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV has a 437-litre boot, expandable to 1,506 litres when the rear seat row is folded down.

A good habit of the brand is its 7-year or 150,000-kilometre warranty. As could be expected, Kia has kept this for the Kia Ceed Tourer PHEV, extending coverage to both the battery and the electric motor. We will therefore have to wait for the manufacturer to share the price range it will be sold at in early 2020.